12:00am - Higashi Hotel
Yi Han waited near the hotel lobby elevator, her thoughts still lingering on the uneasy events of the evening. Just as she was about to step away, the elevator doors opened—and Zhou Yang stepped out.
Her heart raced. She hadn't expected him to come down and "collect" her before she even returned to her room. Now, with Mr. Arashi gone, she had no support, no excuse, nothing to buy her time.
"Oh, just at the right time," Zhou Yang said smoothly, a faint, dangerous smile tugging at his lips. "You're finally done? Come on, we should go back. It's late."
Before she could react, he shamelessly reached for her hand, taking it as if it were already his to hold, and guided her toward the elevator.
Yi Han's pulse spiked. Every instinct screamed at her to pull away, to run—but the small, confined space of the lobby left her exposed. She pressed herself slightly back, eyes wide, every sense on high alert. Think, Yi Han. Think!
As the elevator doors slid shut, Zhou Yang leaned closer, his face dangerously near hers. His movement was slow, deliberate, and his intention clear. Yi Han's stomach churned—he was trying to lean in for a kiss.
Her mind raced. Panic pressed against her chest, but somewhere deep inside, a spark of resolve ignited. No. I won't let him do this.
Just as Yi Han was about to push him away, her phone rang, the sharp ringtone echoing through the elevator. Zhou Yang froze, irritation flickering across his face, and she seized the moment.
Frantically, she fumbled through her bag, her fingers finally closing around the phone. Talk about perfect timing… yet again, she thought, a mixture of relief and disbelief washing over her.
She glanced at the screen. Incoming call: Chen-xi.
Her eyes flicked to the timestamp—midnight. Odd. Why would he call at this hour? But she didn't have time to overthink it.
The call couldn't have come at a better moment. Relief surged through her chest as she swiped to answer, grateful for the interruption that gave her a way out and a lifeline—exactly when she needed it most.
Zhou Yang's gaze narrowed, his patience thinning as she lifted the phone to her ear, but Yi Han's attention was fully focused on the caller, her mind already plotting her next move.
Yi Han lifted the phone to her ear, keeping her voice calm and composed despite her racing heart.
"Good evening, Ms. Liu. I apologize for calling at this hour, but there are some urgent matters," Chen-xi said, his tone steady and professional.
"Good evening, Mr. Chen-xi. No worries. How can I help?" Yi Han replied, keeping her voice polite and measured.
"Mr. Feng would like you to provide a report on the viewership for Business Week. He sees potential in the media coverage and wants an immediate review," Chen-xi explained.
Yi Han nodded slightly to herself, already formulating a plan. "That… will take a couple of hours to prepare, but I can have it done tonight. No problem."
"Thank you for accommodating, Ms. Liu. Once the report is ready, you can send it my way," Chen-xi said, his tone appreciative.
"Sure. I'll prepare the report now," Yi Han responded, her mind already working through the details.
The conversation echoed in the otherwise silent elevator. Zhou Yang, standing close by, heard every word. His brows furrowed in mild irritation, realizing he'd been interrupted—and that Yi Han had an excuse to focus elsewhere.
Quick-witted, Yi Han seized the opportunity. She pressed the phone to her ear, typing notes into her phone as she spoke, using the report as a perfect pretext to pull away from Zhou Yang's grasp and regain control of the situation.
Zhou Yang's expression remained calm, but inside, his thoughts turned dark and twisted.
You can run once… maybe twice, he thought coldly. But when the wedding day comes, you won't be able to escape.
His gaze lingered on Yi Han's profile as she retreats into her room hurriedly, possessive.
No matter how much you struggle, you'll still end up where you belong—by my side. Zhou Yang thought.
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Shortly after...Feng Yan's phone buzzed again. He answered, and Chen-xi's voice came through almost immediately.
"Sir, it's been settled. I've informed Ms. Liu, and she's working on it now. She'll send it over as soon as it's completed," Chen-xi reported briskly, cutting off any pause for Feng Yan to speak.
Feng Yan allowed himself a faint nod, even though Chen-xi couldn't see it. She should be safe now, he thought, sensing that having her occupied with the report would give her the space she needed to free herself from Zhou Yang.
"Mhm. You can let her know to submit the report by the end of this week," Feng Yan replied, his tone calm, almost casual.
On the other end of the line, Chen-xi raised an eyebrow.
Wait… didn't he say he wanted it now? Now it's by the end of the week? What in the world… I just called someone in the middle of the night, disrupting their sleep… Chen-xi muttered under his breath, a mix of confusion and mild frustration curling in his chest.
Despite the minor annoyance, he knew better than to question Feng Yan's reasoning. Whatever the plan, it was deliberate—and likely brilliant in its own way.
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9:00 AM – Tokyo Airport
The next morning, it was time to return to Shanghai. Yi Han gathered with the crew she had flown in with, checking in and organizing her luggage. Zhou Yang was there alongside her—but noticeably, he had no baggage.
"Aren't you flying back to Shanghai today too?" Yi Han asked, curiosity flickering across her face. It was odd to see him without luggage, with no apparent intention of taking the same flight.
"Right about that," Zhou Yang began casually, though the timing felt almost too convenient. "James and the boys are flying over to throw me a bachelor party here for the next couple of days. When they heard I was in Japan, I thought, why not? Since the wedding's next week."
Yi Han gave little thought to the story, though a quiet relief settled over her—she wouldn't have to endure the same flight with him or see him over the next few days. Putting on a polite, composed mask, she replied, "Oh, so thoughtful of them. That sounds like a surprise party." She carefully hid any flicker of relief on her face.
Zhou Yang's gaze lingered on her for a moment before he teased lightly, reaching out to pinch the tip of her nose with a playful grin. "You be careful yourself. Try to wrap up your work so you can prepare and be ready to be Mrs. Zhou next week!"
Yi Han's lips curved into a faint, controlled smile.
It wasn't long before boarding was announced. Yi Han stood in line with her carry-on, her mind drifting despite herself. The wedding—nextweek. She had been so buried in work that she hadn't realized how quickly time had slipped through her fingers.
Now it was right in front of her.
Her mood darkened. What am I supposed to do at the wedding? she wondered. She still didn't have enough concrete evidence to call it off—not without consequences. One troubling scenario after another crossed her mind, each more suffocating than the last. By the time she handed over her boarding pass, her chest felt tight, as if the future were closing in on her.
Meanwhile, Zhou Yang remained behind at the airport, standing alone after watching Yi Han disappear into the departure area.
Just then, a female figure emerged from the arrival gates. She was dressed in a form-fitting dress, a long coat draped effortlessly over her shoulders. As she walked, she lifted her sunglasses and perched them atop her head, her sharp eyes scanning the crowd with purpose.
She stopped, lips curving slightly as she spotted someone familiar.
The woman was LanXin.
Her sudden appearance at the airport felt anything but accidental.
A bachelor party with James and the boys?
What an absolute joke.
Zhou Yang had planned it all from the very beginning. Japan was never about work or coincidence—it was a carefully chosen cover. While Yi Han boarded her flight back to Shanghai, still burdened by thoughts of their upcoming wedding, he stayed behind without hesitation, arranging for Lan Xin to fly in and keep him company.
A week before the wedding.
This was the man who spoke of commitment with ease, who wore the mask of a devoted fiancé in public, yet indulged himself in private without the slightest trace of guilt. He expected Yi Han to prepare herself to become Mrs. Zhou, while he entertained another woman, treating fidelity like an inconvenience rather than a promise.
There was nothing accidental about it. No moment of weakness. Just deliberate, shameless betrayal.
Zhou Yang wasn't careless—he was calculating. A man who took advantage of Yi Han's restraint, her lack of evidence, her unwillingness to make a scene. He cheated because he believed he could get away with it, because he thought he owned her future no matter what he did behind her back.
A man like that didn't deserve marriage.
He didn't deserve loyalty.
He was nothing more than a lowlife—rotten to the core—standing at the airport, waiting for his mistress while his fiancée flew home alone, still trying to hold her life together.